Farscape Epic RPG: A Pictures' Worth A 1000 Words
by Chant99
Summary: Based on my RPG: One cycle after their first meeting, Chiana presents Berret with an interesting gift.


Crichton watched the Shrike patiently piece the tiny parts to the DRD's laser tool back together. They were sitting at the large table inside Moya's center chamber, getting ready to start the new solar day and waiting for the rest of the crew to join them. Pilot had mentioned that this particular DRD unit was having problems with a sticking armature assembly and Berret had offered to fix it while they sat down for breakfast. John shook his head and took another drink of what reasonably passed for coffee in the Territories, as far as he was concerned it was much too early in the morning to play around with parts that bordered on the microscopic. The ex-assassin had taken the laser arm apart and after cleaning out the minuet servos, was putting them back together again for reattachment to the waiting DRD. He stopped his work and looked up in curiosity just has Crichton noticed the sound of running boots coming from the corridor outside the center chamber. The pounding footfalls grew louder and a few microts later Chiana shot by the opened access door. The Nebari girl looked almost comical as she overshot the door and skid passed. Catching herself on the door jam, she corrected her course and bolted into the room with a package tucked under one arm. She made a beeline straight for Berret's seat and before he knew it, she bounced directly into his lap.  
  
"Hiya," she said with a bright smile.  
Berret was bemused by her more then unusual antics. "Hello," he said in return with a flabbergasted look and a slightly raised eyebrow.  
"What ya doin'?" she asked next with a quirky tilt of her head.  
"Trying to do minor repair work on this DRD for Pilot."  
Chiana nodded in understanding. "Oh," she said but didn't seem inclined to get up out of his lap so he could continue on with the chore.  
"Do you know what day it is?" she inquired while brushing a piece of imaginary lint from his shoulder.  
"It is the fifth day of the weeken," Berret responded.  
"Yeah... and what else?" the Nebari returned with an expectant look on her face.   
Across the table, Crichton took a sip from his mug to hide his grin. "Somebody forgot something important," he muttered in a low voice to himself.  
"Is it laundry day?" Berret tried next.  
"Oh, boy! Wrong answer," said John louder now as the girl frowned at the other man.  
"No, it isn't laundry day," answered Chiana with a roll of her dark eyes. "Males! Forget your heads if they weren't attached."   
"And that's the way we like it," quipped Crichton from his seat safely outside of Chiana's reach.  
"I'm sorry," apologized Berret. "I'm at a loss. What day is it?"  
Chiana traced a finger down his neck and across his shoulder. "It was exactly one cycle ago today that we met in that alley and you joined us," she explained.  
John lowered his cup, "That's right. I'd forgotten all about that."  
Berret nodded in agreement; apparently it had slipped his memory also.  
Chiana smile grew from ear to ear. "I got you an anniversary present," she announced as she held up the package. "I've been waiting all weeken to give it to you."  
Berret was stunned. "I don't know what to say," he confessed as Chiana thrust the gift into his hands.  
"Say 'thank you' and open it," she said excitedly.  
"Thank you," repeated the Shrike as he began to unwrap the present. The paper parted to reveal an elegantly craved frame. Berret picked the flat object up to get a better look... and his jaw dropped.  
"Well?" asked the Nebari girl with undisguised enthusiasm while he appraised the gift after remembering to close his mouth.   
"It's a... it's a..." Berret started to say but couldn't finish in his amazement.  
"It's a sketch," finished Chiana for him.  
"Yes... it is," agreed Berret finally able to nod his head slightly. "It's... a sketch of you."  
"Well? What do you think?"  
"I think... ummmm, I think... well, you're... you're..." Berret stuttered.  
"Naked?" Chiana supplied, trying to be helpful.  
Berret nodded his head. "Yes... very much so," he was finally able to admit over the shock.  
"You don't like it?" she asked as her smile fell away. She then grabbed it away from the man, the disappointment growing on her face. "Why? What's wrong with it? You don't think I look good in it?" Chiana turned to Crichton and held out the drawing so he could see it.  
"John, do you think there's anything wrong with this?" she asked. Crichton threw up his arms to cover his face and adverted his eyes.  
"Whoa! Whoa, Pip! Leave me out of this," he said as he snatched up his mug and got up from the table. "I think I'll leave you two alone to work this out between yourselves." He strode from the center chamber muttering, "I hope that boy understands those signals." With a final shake of his head he went to see if Aeryn had gotten up yet.   
"What is it with humans? It's only another humanoid body," she called after John. "I'm sure it's not anything you haven't seen before somewhere else!"  
Berret could see Chiana's feelings were beginning to get hurt from his reaction, or rather lack of appropriate reaction. She turned back to him and her shoulders droop in dejection.   
"You really don't like it. I spent two days posing for an artist at the last planet we stopped at. I thought you'd be pleased," she said sadly. He remembered the planet and the days in question now. Chiana had been secretive and had insisted on going off by herself for two days of the visit. Berret had thought at the time that the girl was planning a snurching and fully expected to have to bail the woman out of the city's lock-up at any moment. He was secretly relieved when they left orbit without the Nebari getting arrested.  
"No! No, you misunderstand me," he replied quickly as he took back the portrait from her. "I'm more speechless then anything." He looked more closely at the sketch. It wasn't obscene in anyway. He had to simply admit she was just stunningly beautiful in it. While Chiana was nude, all her more private areas were hidden in her pose. Despite the slight erotic nature, Berret found you couldn't help but place most of your concentration on her angelic face rather then her body. Whoever the artist was, he was a master. He'd managed to capture Chiana's soul on the heavy paper for all eternity. The only thing that could possibly be more captivating then the eyes in the portrait would be looking into the real pair that now faced him. He realized he'd been gazing at the drawing for so long that he'd stop trying to explain his reaction to her. Looking up he discovered that apparently the look on his face was apology enough for her.  
"There's no way I can think of about how to explain this in words to you," he continued. He had holo-images of Chiana, but this sketch was something different, something very special. It was like she had given him a piece of herself to hold forever. There was nothing he could say or do in return to compare with that.  
"Never mind. It's enough that you do like it," she told him as she ran a gloved hand through his hair. She smiled and looked into his eyes and just for a moment that wall that had always been there was gone. He wasn't thinking about his past, instead his thoughts were totally on her. The two days of putting up with muscle cramps from staying in the same position for arns in a drafty studio had been well worth it. 


End file.
